what do you mean, "CRAFT"???

Some highlights from the ACC conference.

Richard Sennet and Craft:
Process, Exploration and Computer Programming...

Sennet is author of the recently published book, "The Craftsman," which examines the role of craftsmanship in our current (American) socio-economic system. To illustrate his idea that good craft is defined through open, qualitative exploration of a given medium and not product-centered development "shortcuts," he compared two American software companies-- Google, and another "unnamed northern California company" (Microsoft, perhaps?). Google, he argued, has been a company that rewards the creative process of its employees, with resulting products of high quality and functionality. The other, of course, has taken strategies that do not allow time for exploration of "interesting" problems and paths because they are too focused on the production of final, marketable, solutions. Their resulting software is, incidentally, full of glitches.

'Craft' in the realm of computer programming was a refreshing way to break the typical connection of craft to traditional handwork and look at it as the broader idea of creative problem-solving: Problem solving that is process-driven, absorbed in the medium at hand, with an open curiosity about inherent possibilities. Only through a commitment to slowing down and dwelling within a medium are the best solutions and techniques found. Experiential knowledge takes time and patience.

This definition of craft resonates with how I felt before the conference--That craft, often defined by "traditional" techniques or methodologies, should actually be defined as a total commitment to a medium, and an absorption in exploring the qualities and potentials that exist within it. Final products or artworks come slowly, or are even an afterthought. The process of opening to a medium outside the self requires receptivity, and is capable of providing "moral rejuvenation," to the individual and community.

In the vein of William Morris, Sennet closed his presentation with a renouncement of Capitalism, and a call to systemic changes in how we, as a culture, approach problems, value work, and use resources. Design that is separate from manufacturing, that is separate from resource extraction, that is separate from product disposal... is a recipe for disaster. The uniting of thinking and making processes, and the connection of where materials come from, how they're used, and where they go is necessary for true craftsmanship-- and sustainability for that matter. Whole systems thinking. I'm just rambling now. We all know this stuff, right? But how do we get to where we need to be?